


The Oven Light

by frausorge



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Gen, M/M, Multi-Fandom Advent Calendar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-21
Updated: 2013-12-21
Packaged: 2018-01-08 03:45:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1127943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frausorge/pseuds/frausorge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On Tuesday morning Josie decides to bake some cookies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Oven Light

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2013 [Multi-Fandom Advent Calendar](http://mfac.livejournal.com/61814.html). Many thanks to proteinscollide and lovelypoet for beta read-throughs, and to saba1789 for the prompt of _baking_!

On Tuesday morning Josie decides to bake some cookies. Nothing fancy, just chocolate chip. She's got the dough mixed up in no time and the first trays are all ready to go, but when she tries to turn on the light in the oven to see if it's empty, nothing happens. Josie frowns and flips the switch a few more times. 

"A little help?" she says aloud for old times' sake. No answer.

Well, Josie still has other friends she can call on. She steps out onto the front porch and makes her call. She doesn't have to wait long before a car pulls up and Cecil tumbles out the passenger side. His new boyfriend extracts himself only slightly more gracefully from the driver's seat. 

"I'm so glad you called!" Cecil says. "I was just telling Carlos that I hadn't heard from you in a while, and now we get to see you right away today!"

Carlos looks a little shy, but he nods and shakes Josie's hand. 

"Right through this way," Josie says, leading them to the kitchen. 

Cecil and Carlos both squat down in front of the oven. "Carlos, what do you think?" Cecil says.

Carlos peers inside and flicks the light switch once. He turns on a flashlight and shines it inside the oven. Then he pulls out the racks to give himself some room and reaches all the way back to the little bulb between its wire guards. He unscrews the bulb delicately and draws his hand back out to bring it into view. 

Cecil and Josie both lean in to get a good look. The glass is a little cloudy and stained with soot, but otherwise untouched. Carlos lifts the bulb to his ear and gives it a shake. Josie leans closer till she, too, can hear the faint tinkle of the broken filament. 

"It's... burned out," Carlos says. He looks startled, and wary. Cecil jumps to his feet.

"Let's go to Alvarez Hardware and Office Supply Express!" he says. "I always like to give Helen business when I can."

Carlos follows Cecil back down the hallway, still staring at the light bulb clutched in his hand.

Josie turns on the radio while they're gone and catches part of the noontime show, an hour of the sound of a beating heart. She turns it off when Carlos's car zips up again.

"Can you believe it?" Cecil says. "Helen had just the right replacement bulb in stock. Just arrived yesterday, she said. Isn't that lucky?"

Indeed, Carlos is now holding a newer, cleaner bulb of the same size, and staring at it in exactly the same way. 

"Well, come on," Cecil tells him. "Let's not keep Josie waiting any longer." So they all traipse back into the kitchen. Carlos reaches into the oven, looking a little queasy, and screws the new bulb in. Then he puts his hand on the switch and flips it. 

The light comes on.

"It works," Carlos says. His eyes are shining. "The bulb was burned out- and we replaced it- and now it _works_."

Cecil claps his hands together and pulls Carlos up for a kiss. Carlos looks a little embarrassed, but he hasn't stopped smiling.

Josie thanks them both, and they each kiss her cheek. It's nice; it's the most action she's gotten all week. "And, Josie…" Cecil says hopefully. Josie smiles.

"Don't worry, I'll bring a batch by the station this afternoon once they're done." 

Cecil claps his hands again, and the two of them head back out to the car.

So that's all well and good. The trouble is, that whole rigmarole took quite a while, and sure enough when Josie looks in the broiler pan, the toad's eyes are wide open and glaring. Josie sighs and pricks her finger again so she can shake fresh drops over the cookie sheets. Gradually the toad's eyes fall closed, and its mouth drops open to show the bloodstone chip on its tongue pulsing contentedly. Josie slides the trays in, shuts the oven door, and sets the timer.

She goes out into the living room to watch TV while she's waiting. The picture is terrible, flashing from black and white to neon green and mauve. Josie sighs; she doesn't want to bother Cecil and Carlos so soon again. But then a shadow glides forward, short and squat- or perhaps the shape a very tall figure might be if it hunched over double- and tucks the connector from the cable box more securely into its socket. The picture wheezes a little and settles into its proper state. Josie raises an eyebrow. The shadow, already gliding backwards, lays a finger over the place where its lips would be.

Josie rolls her eyes. _Thank you,_ she mouths. The shadow smiles beatifically.


End file.
